COLLINGWOOD 5.2.32 6.3.39 8.7.55 11.11.77
GOALS - Collingwood: Cox 2, Aish 2, Adams, Cloke, Crocker, Varcoe, Wills, Pendlebury, White
BEST - Collingwood: Crisp, Sidebottom, Aish, Adams, Grundy, Howe
INJURIES - Collingwood: Cox (shoulder), Pendlebury (left ankle)
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 49,122 at the MCG
| 1. What 'external noise'? Richmond had to come out firing. Had to. You don't lose by 88 points to Greater Western Sydney the previous week and not expect seven days full of fierce scrutiny to envelop you at Tigerland. Halfway through the first quarter things looked to be going pear-shaped again, as the Magpies booted the first four goals of the contest. But, to their credit, the Tigers steadied to kick six of the next seven and took a six-point lead into the major break. Despite Collingwood controlling parts of the second half, Richmond kicked away late in the game to record a much-needed victory as it eased the pressure on under-fire coach Damien Hardwick. 2. Milestone Martin puts on another clinic Dustin Martin has raced to 150 games. The star Tiger has missed just four games in his career on his way to becoming one of the biggest names in the game and has excelled because of his talent and durability. 'Dusty' has had a sensational season and he continued in that fashion against Collingwood. The 25-year-old led all comers on the ground with 18 disposals to half-time and finished the game full of running, amassing a game-high 34 disposals to lead the Tigers to victory. There is no doubt he should be a contender for this year's Brownlow medal. 3. Aish announces himself Whenever you go to Collingwood on a lucrative long-term deal as a 20-year-old, you're always going to cop some heat if your performances aren't up to scratch. But, despite being dropped, former Lion James Aish never dropped his head and worked extra hard to return to the team. The youngster has seen a considerable spike in his production in the last month and continued his sparkling form against the Tigers. Aish, who joined the Magpies in a complicated trade that landed the Lions draft points for their academy graduates, Ryan Bastinac and a future second-round pick, had 18 disposals in one of his best games in the black and white. But it was his ability to unflinchingly mark the ball above his head (three contested marks), often with opponents bearing down, that stood out the most. Still only in his 44th game, the No.7 pick from the 2013 NABAFL Draft has plenty of scope for improvement. |
4. The Magpies miss their main man Collingwood has been so reliant on skipper Scott Pendlebury in tight games, but was forced to do it without him down the stretch against the Tigers. Pendlebury succumbed to an injury to his left ankle in the final term, leaving the ground in the last 10 minutes of the game to ice the ankle in a tracksuit on the bench. Pendlebury's absence was notable as the Tigers kicked the final two goals to close out the match. The skipper's poise and experience was sorely missed in the dying stages as the Magpies dropped a game that should have been theirs for the taking. 5. Dimma's hidden gem shines After the Tigers' round 11 loss to North Melbourne, which all but ended their finals hopes, coach Damien Hardwick said it was time to give the "promising" kids a go. True to his word, the embattled coach has done just that giving Jason Castagna, Liam McBean, Nathan Drummond, Jayden Short and Adam Marcon opportunities at AFL level. But it was one youngster – Oleg Markov – that shone brighter than any of his contemporaries against the Pies. Markov, selection No.50 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, displayed energy to take the game on and assuredness with the ball in his possession. Markov finished with 26 disposals (25 uncontested) and 12 marks to play a vital role in Richmond's win. Pendlebury's absence was notable as the Tigers kicked the final two goals to close out the match. The skipper's poise and experience was sorely missed in the dying stages as the Magpies dropped a game that should have been theirs for the taking. |
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Collingwood will assess captain Scott Pendlebury over the coming days after the star midfielder was unable to complete Friday night's match against Richmond due to an ankle injury. Pendlebury rolled his left ankle midway through the final term after teammate Brodie Grundy inadvertently bumped him in a contest, immediately leaving the field to receive treatment. The skipper was spotted on crutches, with his left foot in a compression sleeve after the game, and coach Nathan Buckley is fearful the injury may be significant. "It's sore. He wasn't able to come back on and that tells me that there's something amiss but we'll find out more in the next couple of days," Buckley said. The Magpies missed their skipper's cool head in the final stages of the game as the Tigers kicked clear to claim a 15-point win. "It looked like he was up and about in that last quarter and we were coming. Whenever your skipper goes down, the leadership void hurts, especially when we had a few passengers on the night," Buckley said. "It wasn't Pendles' best night but he's the type of bloke with the maturity and leadership to understand that it might not be his game, but it might be his moment and he looked like he was on his way to doing exactly that." What looked like a promising night, after the Magpies kicked the first four goals of the match, quickly turned sour for Buckley's side. The coach lamented his team's ball use, but above all he was most disappointed with his side's team defence. Collingwood conceded 132 uncontested to Richmond marks and, knowing full well that was the brand of footy the Tigers were going to play, the Pies failed to stop them in their tracks. "It was really disappointing. Our first 10 minutes looked great – our offence and our connection forward looked good," Buckley said. "Contested ball (29-24 in the first quarter) and clearance (13-3) was in the green and then we proceeded to play the worst three quarters that we've played all year and we were still two points up with eight minutes to play. "We just had too many blokes that had 'mares'." Although many of his players were down on the night, Buckley was quick to single out youngsters James Aish, Rupert Wills and Josh Smith who he thought were "up for the fight." Aish, 20, who was traded from the Brisbane Lions to the Magpies in the off-season, continued his stellar month with 18 disposals and five marks (three contested) against the Tigers. "To come into a new club it took him a while to settle, as you'd expect, playing with all new teammates," Buckley said. "He's a very professional and focussed guy and once he had an opportunity to get his head around the role he needed to play we're seeing some pretty good footy. "He's rewarding us, even in these early stages for the interest we had in him and we're looking forward to seeing where he can go after the form he's displayed over the last five or six weeks." Buckley said he expects Darcy Moore (hamstring) to be fit for next Friday night's clash with the Western Bulldogs, although Alex Fasolo (shoulder) is unlikely to play and there is a chance the Pies could call an end to his season. "We won't be taking any risks with him (Moore) but if he's fit he'll play," Buckley said. Richmond showed what they were made of in a tenacious win against Collingwood after a shocking start. And they even gave their disgruntled fans a few moments of brilliance, with a standout performance from Alex Rance and beautiful snap-shot goals from Jack Riewoldt and Dustin Martin. After successive thrashings at the hands of top teams Hawthorn and Greater Western Sydney, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was proved correct in his prediction that his team would be more competitive against the Magpies. In a strange sort of way it was an important game even so late in the season and played between two teams that would not make the finals. Richmond has been humiliated in Canberra by the Giants last weekend, scoring just 3.5 (23) to the Giants' 17.9 (111). Criticisms of Hardwick resurfaced, as did disapproval of the board's decision to extend his contract by two years. And in the early going Richmond looked every bit the team under fire – buckling under pressure, not rising to the occasion. The Tigers were cautious and often handpassed when a kick would have created better opportunities for their teammates. Less than two minutes into the match, the ball had been turned over from right in front of their goal and James Aish had booted a goal at the other end. But Richmond steadied, led from the back line by Rance and Bachar Houli, then Martin at half-forward. The latter two did not always use the ball as well as they could have, but they got plenty of it and gave the team some of the energy they lacked against GWS last week. Travis Cloke kicked a freakish goal from the boundary line after the siren to help the Pies pull ahead, but the quarter-time score was arguably more cheering for the Tigers. Although they went into the first break just 14 points down, Richmond had nearly matched their score for their entire game last week. Perhaps a good sport psychologist could say something interesting about why it was that in the second term Richmond so dramatically lifted their game. Brodie Grundy was excellent for Collingwood in the middle, but the Tigers seemed to develop a bit of dare, and became better at finding teammates. Few would have predicted Richmond would go into half-time six points up, helped along by goals from Shaun Grigg, Nathan Drummond, Jack Riewoldt and second to Ty Vickery. It was not a high-standard match, but in the third term Martin showed his class with a beautiful snap shot and goal, breaking the monotony of end-to-end mistakes and misses. It was only in the final term, with the game on the line, that the game really amped up. Collingwood lifted their intensity and began to dominate out of the centre. By 16 minutes in the scores were tied and a behind to Adam Treloar put the Pies just in front, but when skipper Scott Pendlebury left the ground with an ankle injury and did not return, he took some of Collingwood's confidence with him. When Riewoldt goaled in the dying minutes, pulling the ball out of a scramble and snapping it over his shoulder, it had Tigers fans on their feet and most likely, some of those higher up at Tigerland breathing a sigh of relief.
NOTES
MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: The outlook for Pendlebury is not good, with the skipper on crutches post-match and awaiting scans to his left ankle. Ruckman Mason Cox was able to play out the match with his shoulder strapped, but he received a lot of treatment and appeared sore. NEXT UP Collingwood is back on the Friday night stage next week, against the Western Bulldogs, who they have not beaten since 2013. LAST THREE Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn |
COLLINGWOOD delivered its "worst three quarters that we've played all year" Friday night, with coach Nathan Buckley left ropeable after a complete dissolution of his team's defence. The Magpies led four goals to the Tigers' no score before things went south for Buckley's men, who eventually fell 15 points short of Richmond at the MCG. "Our offence and our connection forward were good — contested ball clearance was in the green (in the first 10 minutes)," he said. "And then we proceeded to play the worst three quarters that we've played all year and we were still two points up with eight minutes to play. "It was a disappointing night all round, and there were probably a couple of individuals that played really well." Buckley said Collingwood simply allowed the Tigers to run rampant with the ball, and by allowing that to happen, they only made their own job harder — particularly in defence. But while they were presented with exactly what they expected from the Tigers, Buckley's charges simply failed to counter it. "Richmond (was) able to move the ball far too easily," he said. "It's something we've done particularly well ever since the bye, and it's part of the reason that we've been more competitive. That was the most disappointing part. "They moved the ball exactly how we thought they would. They were clean and slick, especially through the back. Their defenders had ridiculous numbers of marks and kicks and touches. "Our finish, first, to be able to win one-on-ones was poor in the front half. We couldn't win a ball at ground level, and then our complete inability to pressure their backs on the way out was probably the biggest challenge that we had. It's pretty hard to win games against an opposition that wants to kick it around if you can't get that right." Scott Pendlebury finished Friday's match on the bench with an ankle injury. Captain Scott Pendlebury was the biggest casualty in the loss, sitting out the last 20 minutes of the game after suffering an ankle injury in the final term. "It was sore, which indicates to me that there is something amiss," Buckley said. "We'll find out more in the next couple of days." Buckley has been left wishing he could turn the clock back to the post-bye form his side showed against the likes of Carlton and Greater Western Sydney. "We do want to finish the season off strongly," he said. "We want to see more of our post-bye, positive form and less of what we saw for the most part of tonight." RICHMOND has produced the fighting performance it desperately needed with its back against the wall, ending a week of turmoil with a thrilling 15-point win against Collingwood at the MCG. The under-siege Tigers produced some of the most committed football of their disappointing season, with a late goal to star forward Jack Riewoldt sealing the 14.8 (92) to 11.11 (77) win. After three-and-a-half seesawing quarters, they kicked four of the last five goals of the match to transfer at least some of the pressure they have been feeling to the disappointing Pies. Scores were tied with 10 minutes to play after improving Magpie James Aish capped a strong night with a contested mark and goal. However, it was around that time captain Scott Pendlebury limped from the ground with a left ankle injury that would end his night and rob the Magpies' midfield of their leader. It ultimately proved too much of a hurdle for Nathan Buckley's men, who led by 25 points early but went on to produce what the coach described as "the worst three quarters we've played all year". The Tigers deserve credit for putting their foot on their opponents' throats at the crunch, however, with Brandon Ellis holding his nerve to kick a clutch set shot and Sam Lloyd marking late and converting. Daniel Rioli, one of five Tigers with less than 15 games experience on Friday night, also kicked a crucial goal in the fourth quarter after the Magpies had stolen a slim lead. Star defender Alex Rance was immense, shutting down opponent Jesse White and finishing with 26 possessions, eight marks and nine rebound 50s. In his 150th game, gun midfielder Dustin Martin won a game-high 34 possessions, also finishing with seven clearances and a goal. His milestone was celebrated in the Tigers' rooms with a haka performed by three friends, which could be heard through the bowels of the MCG. Captain Trent Cotchin (28) led brilliantly in the middle and had a game-high eight clearances, while first-year Tiger Oleg Markov (26 and 10 rebounds) announced himself on the big stage. "Our skipper was outstanding from the word go, the way he led the players and they responded and gathered around him to get a good result for us," Damien Hardwick said. "I was just really happy for them. We have been disappointing the past two weeks, but for the players to respond and play as well as they did … it was really pleasing. "I think our fans walk away and can be happy with the effort our guys gave." After a horror fortnight on-field that has translated to off-field murmurings and the threat of board challenges, Richmond needed an immediate response on Friday night. But the emergency sirens were sounding early as Collingwood piled on four unanswered goals and hunted their opponents, who were struggling to win the ball and making poor decisions when they had it. When Riewoldt walked into the protected area after a Taylor Adams mark, setting up another Magpie goal, the margin was 25 points and a familiar story was being written after just 12 minutes. The unlikely hero to break the deadlock was maligned forward Ty Vickery, who sparked a three-goal run for the Tigers and showcased the contested marking that interested rival clubs are now taking notice of. Recycled midfielder Andrew Moore, mature-age rookie Adam Marcon and mid-tier midfielder Shaun Grigg all chipped in with goals and, soon enough, the Tigers had their noses in front as the game turned on its head. They built a 13-point lead by the final change and it was enough for them to protect, giving their tortured supporters the chance to sing their famous song at the MCG at least one more time this season. Collingwood was well served by midfielders Taylor Adams (25 possessions and six clearances), Jack Crisp (25 and six) and ruckman Brodie Grundy, who won his match-up against Shaun Hampson. The Magpies finished the match ahead in clearances (38-27), inside 50s (48-39) and tackles (71-52), but they crumbled at important times, with Buckley lamenting off-nights for too many of his players. "It was really disappointing. Our first 10 minutes looked great – our offence and our connection forward looked good," the coach said. "Contested ball and clearance was in the green, and then we proceeded to play the worst three quarters that we've played all year and we were still two points up with eight minutes to play. "We just had too many blokes that had 'mares'." "Contested ball and clearance was in the green, and then we proceeded to play the worst three quarters that we've played all year and we were still two points up with eight minutes to play. We just had too many blokes that had 'mares'." |
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